Officials from the Maine school district announced Thursday that the district would not comply with the proposed agreement with President Donald Trump's administration, which bans transgender athletes from participating in women's sports.
Main School Management District 51, home to Greeley High School, said that trans athletes incited national controversy after winning the Women's Pole Vault Competition in February, saying they were “compliant with state laws and Maine Human Rights Act.”
“To our students: I would like to thank you for your maturity, patience and dedication to learning through these distractions. Please continue to lead,” the district said in a statement.
The Maine Principals Association said in a statement that it was “bound to laws including the Maine Human Rights Act, which reflects our participation policies.”
For sports coverage on foxnews.com, click here
Despite recent data suggesting that the majority of Maine residents are opposed to transgender athletes in women's sports, the agency has chosen to violate Trump's orders.
A survey by the American Union of Parents found that of around 600 registered Maine voters, 63% said school sports participation should be based on biological sex, while 66% agreed that “it's fair to limit women's sports to biological women.”
The main girl involved in the Trans Athlete Battle reveals how state policies hurt her childhood and sports career
The poll found that 60% of residents support a vote measure that restricts women and girls' participation in sports to biological women. This included 64% of parents with children under the age of 18 and 66% of parents.
The situation involving trans athletes at Greeley High School has attracted public attention after Maine Republican state legislator Laurel Libby identified the athlete by name in a photo in a social media post in February.
Police protection was later assigned to schools for safety concerns.
The Maine Legislature then denounced Libby for the Post, and she has since filed a lawsuit seeking to overturn the accusation.
The feud between Trump and Maine Gov. Janet Mills began on February 20th during the governor's GOP meeting.
The next day, Mills' office responded with a statement threatening legal action against the Trump administration if it withholds federal funds from the state. Trump and Mills then spawned verbally in a widely publicized discussion at the White House during a bipartisan meeting of the governor.
Click here to get the Fox News app
“Are you planning on following that?” Trump asked Mills.
Several protests against Mills have since been held outside the Capitol, and the University of Maine system has worked with the Trump administration to ensure trans athletes do not compete in women's sports after temporary funding has been suspended.
Last week, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Civil Rights Office (OCR) announced that it had discovered the Maine Department of Education, the Maine Principal Association and Greeley High School in violation of Title IX to continue trans to women's sports.
The announcement warned that states will have 10 days to amend their policies, either through signed contracts or referrals to the U.S. Department of Justice, for appropriate action. The deadline passed Thursday.
Acting OCR Director Anthony Arkeval previously provided a statement to FOX News with a digital warning of the potential consequences of the executive order's continued rebellion.
“What HHS wants from the Maine Department of Education, the Main Principal Association (MPA) and Greeley High School – protecting the rights of female athletes. Girls deserve girls only sports without male competitors.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Follow Fox News Digital's Sports Coverage on X and subscribe to Fox News Sports Huddle Newsletter.
